Going off of another thread about keeping your kit in pristine condition, i decided to show what my kit looks like all packed up before a gig. The Pro-tec bags are heavily padded and the hardware bag I use is actually a golf travel bag the fits a large set of clubs for air-travel. i keep my throne and drum rug in with the hardware, my bass pedals and stick bag go with my 18 inch floor tom. there are padded dividers between the drums so nothing touches anything else. they all have wheels too so i can actuall take two bags at once. spare heads for the whole kit go in the bass drum bag sleeve. My Paiste cymbals go in a Zildjian bag. I hate the look of the Paiste bags.

I have a bag for my snare and an upright rolling cart for all my hardware, cymbals are in a Zildjain cymbal safe. Drums are naked. 3 trips total. I've come to the conclusion that cases are a waste of my time and an extra storage hassle.

I've come to the conclusion that cases are a waste of my time and an extra storage hassle.

Cases 'are' an extra storage hassle, a good padded bag set not so much.

Going naked has its problems tho, if its raining/snowing you could be doing a lot of work wiping the drums/hardware dry. You're also flashing your stuff to people, people that might want it.

Its easier to carry the stuff in bags IMO. All my bags are one size over for quick/easy on and off, the benefits easily outweigh the negatives, the only one of which might be storage at the gig and w/bags its usually easy to find storage space, cases not as easy.

I was using those Humes & Berg Enduro hard cases exclusively for the last decade since I drove around in an open ford pickup most of the time, and I still do. But for my last kit, I got those Ahead armor bags and they're great. I really like the construction - in fact, they're not too different from Protection Racket bags. Ahead says they're waterproof to a degree, but I haven't gotten a chance to test that yet. I recommend these bags to everybody, they're really nice. I got the Ahead cymbal bag as well and that's a great cymbal bag - it's effectively replaced my Reunion Blues solid leather bag that I had for the last 30 years!

Hard cases are no problem to store. In fact, they're quite easy. I put them somewhere, and they stay there. Plus, when I use them to transport my drums, they protect them from getting bumped/dropped as well as the rain/sunlight. +1 for cases!

I am very fond of Protection Racket. All my good drums are in those now. I previously dropped my 13" tom (Zickos plexaglass) and cracked it. It was not in a PR bag. It is currently being repaired. I dropped a 12" which was in a PR bag (both from about 3') and it is fine. At the gig, all the bags nest in the BD bag so they take up very little room. My drums would NEVER go "naked".

My beater kit goes out of the house naked, but my good drums travel in Beato Pro 1 drum bags. I have been using these bags for over 20 years, and they have help up perfectly. The zippers and straps are so rugged and never fussy at all. They're also water-proof, which is very important to me. I highly recommend these bags, and when you order, you talk to Fred Beato directly.

I have a bag for my snare and an upright rolling cart for all my hardware, cymbals are in a Zildjain cymbal safe. Drums are naked. 3 trips total. I've come to the conclusion that cases are a waste of my time and an extra storage hassle.

This is about how I do it, too. SKB cases for the two snares I bring (one for backup), cymbals in a bag, hardware in a bag, but drums go nekkid. I watched too many drummers have too easy a time moving their drums without bags or cases and thought that would be really nice.

The beauty is that my kit has enough rash on it for me to not be overly concerned about a few more scratches here and there. Carrying stacked toms in one trip and a kick and snare the next is just so easy. Hardware and cymbals after that and I'm in!

I'm very careful about the heads though - even though they're the cheapest thing to replace, they're also the business end. I can play with a scratched tom or kick much easier than I can with a punctured head!

When (and if) I get my next new kit, it's all be in cases. I like pristine, but once it's gone (as with my current kit), I'm free to make things easier on myself!

I have a PR bag for my snare. (it's great). My drums are naked (save for a sheet on the kick and hoodie between the toms) and my cymbals currently go in plastic Sabian bags but when I get a new kit I'm getting PR bags for the drums and a cymbal bag as well. After using hardcases at school, I'm not a fan. I think a bag will offer more protection (and sorry Andy, I don't have the budget for AAA cases) than an unlined hardcase, and they are much cheaper too.

My car (mazda cx7) is conveniently sized to perfectly carry a 1-floor tom kit (somewhat compartmentalized too!) and still have 3 seats available. I can still fit everything in the back leaving the front 2 seats open even when i take everything- two HH stands, rug, four cymbal stands + numerous attachments, two floor toms + two rack toms, kick, snare, 14 cymbals, DW double pedal case, and change.

I've Hardcases for all of my stuff. Yeah I know, PITA. However, when stacked all together it makes as nice riser for the bass player to put his amp on an point it at me. Or a nice drinks table if no one wants to use it that night.

Call me clumsy but after a big night and the chicks wanting to help out...(you know how it is ..I hope :)) I like to think that a helpful roadie will be cautious, but won't bank on it.

I have my kick in a padded bag, my snare in a case, and as of now the toms are naked. A cymbal bag, hardware loose. I used to try and fit hardware and drums in hard cases that could carry the whole shebang in one trip, but that was before my two herniated discs...

The old enduro padded hard cases are pretty sweet, although I think I am going with the ahead bags for my latest kit.

Anyway, I can get my entire kit in five cases becuase I fit my snare drum and my rack tom in one 14x14 hard case. I had the 14x14 from a previous kit and when I discovered I could fit the rack tom and snare together with a foam separator it was a happy day indeed.

Although, it looks like the protech bags have me one upped there. I may have to look into them too.

I was hanging around outside a venue waiting for a friend, and a drummer pulled up in his station wagon with his kit in the back and began loading in. Not only were the drums naked, but parts of the hardware like floor tom legs were in place and ready to rock. Talk about minimal setup time! I love the idea, but I think that kit is pretty much guaranteed to pick up a few scratches each and every trip.

I'll hijack the thread to ask a (potentially stupid) question that is always in my head.

When you store the drums, do you keep them stacked like on bobdadruma's second pic earlier in this post?

I keep my drumkit stacked in soft padded cases when at home (I always only move it with the cases).
I keep it stacked and, for a period of my life, between uni and first years at works it just sat there, for years.
I always wondered if, on the long term, it affects the drums or not. I suppose not.
It still spends most of its time stacked in my flat. Kick drum on its own, and 4 toms on top of each other.

Btw, to get back on topic, this my drum kit's travel gear. There is a couple extra pieces as well now:

I keep it stacked and, for a period of my life, between uni and first years at works it just sat there, for years.
I always wondered if, on the long term, it affects the drums or not. I suppose not.
It still spends most of its time stacked in my flat. Kick drum on its own, and 4 toms on top of each other.

With padding? I don't think there's any measurable effect outside of natural loosening of the heads over time. Without, it's pretty awful. I once left my toms 'dry-stacked', as it were, in my car for about 6 hours (in the dark). Came back to ruts in my Pinstripes. I'd hate to be a victim of even longer periods.

I figured. Hey, there's a use for stock heads- shock absorbers while the kits sit in a stack in stores for months on end! I wonder if any of those huge tom stacks at Guitar Center ever fall through the kick.

I'll hijack the thread to ask a (potentially stupid) question that is always in my head.

When you store the drums, do you keep them stacked like on bobdadruma's second pic earlier in this post?

I keep my drumkit stacked in soft padded cases when at home (I always only move it with the cases).
I keep it stacked and, for a period of my life, between uni and first years at works it just sat there, for years.
I always wondered if, on the long term, it affects the drums or not. I suppose not.
It still spends most of its time stacked in my flat. Kick drum on its own, and 4 toms on top of each other.

Btw, to get back on topic, this my drum kit's travel gear. There is a couple extra pieces as well now:

My gig kit stays in the bags along with the hardware and cymbals. I have a kit set up for practice at home with other hardware and throne etc that stays home.

I was hanging around outside a venue waiting for a friend, and a drummer pulled up in his station wagon with his kit in the back and began loading in. Not only were the drums naked, but parts of the hardware like floor tom legs were in place and ready to rock. Talk about minimal setup time! I love the idea, but I think that kit is pretty much guaranteed to pick up a few scratches each and every trip.

That reminds me of when I was in a band with two drummers. Coincidentally, we had identical kits, Lyra white marine pearl. I moved mine in hard cases while he used to back a trailer up to the back door and literally throw them in. Needless to say, when we broke up his set didn't exist anymore and mine lasted another ten years till I sold it.